Partnership aims to improve delivery of care for kidney patients

ALBANY, Ga. - Jan. 18, 2017 - PRLog -- In an effort to demonstrate that the delivery of kidney care can be improved from the patient perspective and to reduce the overall cost of care for ESRD beneficiaries, Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI), has joined forces with a select group of community health partners to establish the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance, an End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Seamless Care Organization (ESCO) in Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama.

"As a nephrologist, I want to help patients manage their kidney disease, give it thorough attention to take care of things but not make it the center of their universe, and then get back to enjoying life," said Jeffrey Bell, MD, FACP. "The Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance brings providers together, allowing us to share information, so that we can quickly and effectively treat the many needs our patients have."

The Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance (GPKCA) is a partnership among the following health care providers:

·         Dialysis Clinic, Inc.

·         Nephrology Associates of Columbus, PC

·         Southwest Georgia Nephrology Clinic, PC

"Each partner in the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance is focused on meeting the needs of the patient," said David White, MD. "We believe that working together will lead to improved communication and better outcomes for patients."

Under the new Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care (CEC) Model, each Participant in the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance will provide individually tailored care in order to improve health outcomes for aligned ESRD patients in the region.

Patients who are treated in the DCI facilities participating in the ESCO and who have Medicare Fee-for-Service as primary insurance are automatically aligned to the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance. Notices will be mailed to patients by January 31, 2017, informing them of the new program.

The benefits of being in the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance for patients include:

•          A dedicated care coordinator who assists with the coordination of care for patients as they move from one healthcare setting to the next.

•          Planning for vascular access placement and ongoing care.

•          Assistance in finding community-based services.

•          Medication therapy management services delivered through a specialized pharmacy program, REACH MTM.

•          Various modalities of education that are tailored to meet the patient's needs.

Each member of the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance was asked to participate in the ESCO in order to provide a well-rounded network of support for patients. Participants in the GPKCA that are designated as ESCO owners are financially responsible for all care provided to patients in the ESCO program, not just dialysis care or care specifically related to a patient's kidney disease. The ESCO gives providers a unique opportunity to take ownership of both the clinical and financial outcomes of each ESRD patient.

Approximately 500 Medicare ESRD beneficiaries will be served by the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance. DCI dialysis patients will not experience a change in their health insurance coverage or benefit options.

Medicare patients from the following Dialysis Clinic, Inc., locations will be aligned to the Georgia Pines Kidney Care Alliance:

·         DCI – Albany

·         DCI - Albany Home Training

·         DCI – Boxwood Place

·         DCI – Columbus

·         DCI – North Columbus

·         DCI – West Town

·         DCI – Phenix City

More information about the program can be found at http://georgiapineskidneycare.com/

More information about the CEC Initiative can be found at: http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/comprehensive-ESRD-care/